unable to discover the design of Government, apprehended every evil from the threats of it to enfranchise the slaves, on condition they would rebel against their masters: and therefore praying the Congress, to which application was made because it was thought the Provincial Assemblies could not provide adequate remedies early enough, to take the case of the petitioners into consideration, and appoint Commissioners from this Colony and Pennsylvania, to attend the meeting of the Indians, and co-operate with Government for the publick good; or, if the latter should fail, to nominate persons for that purpose, and proceed without them in the treaty, which is absolutely necessary. The Congress referred the said Petition to the Delegates of this Colony and Pennsylvania, who having considered the same, and being of opinion that the matter ought to be communicated to this House, and submitted to their consideration, Mr. Bland was directed by his colleagues to lay the same before the House, which he thus did with all convenient expedition.

The said information being immediately taken into consideration,

Resolved, That Thomas Walker, James Wood, Andrew Lewis, John Walker, and Adam Stephen, Esquires, be appointed Commissioners to ratify the Treaty of Peace between this Colony and the Indians.

Ordered, That a Bill be brought in pursuant to the said Resolution, and that Mr. Treasurer and Mr. Dandridge do prepare and bring in the same.

Ordered, That it be an instruction to the gentlemen appointed to prepare and bring in the said Bill, that they have power to receive a clause or clauses, to empower the said Commissioners to join with such other Commissioners as may be appointed by the Assembly of Pennsylvania, in such manner as shall be judged most proper for conciliating the friendship of the Indians, and perpetuating the peace now subsisting between the said Indians and the Colonies.

Mr. Cary reported from the Committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the late Disturbances and Commotions, that the Committee had inquired accordingly, and had directed him to report the causes of the said Disturbances and Commotions, as they appeared to them, to the House; and he read the Report in his place, and afterwards delivered it at the Clerk’s table, where the same was read, and is as followeth, viz:

It appears to your Committee, by the testimony of Doctor William Pasteur, that on Friday morning, the twenty-third of April last, there was a commotion in the City of Williamsburgh, occasioned by the Governour’s removing some powder from the publick magazine; that a common hall being assembled he attended; an address was presented to his Excellency the Governour, and an answer received, as published in the Virginia Gazette; that the people, at the request of the Corporation, retired peaceably to their habitations; that, during the commotion, the Captains Foy, Montague, and Collins, walked the main street unmolested; that, in the morning of the twenty-third of April, the said Pasteur, attending a patient at the Palace, accidentally met with his Excellency the Governour, who introduced a conversation relative to what had passed the preceding day, and seemed greatly exasperated at the people’s having been under arms; when the said Pasteur observed, that it was done in a hurry and confusion, and that most of the people were convinced they were wrong. His Lordship then proceeded to make use of several rash expressions, and said that though he did not think himself in danger, yet understood some injury or insult was intended to be offered to the Captains Foy and Collins, which he should consider as done to himself, as those gentlemen acted entirely by his particular directions; that his Lordship then swore by the living God, that if a grain of powder was burnt at Captain Foy or Collins, or if any injury or insult was offered to himself or either of them, that he would declare freedom to the slaves, and reduce the City of Williamsburgh to ashes. His Lordship then mentioned setting up the royal standard, but did not say that he would actually do it, but said he believed if he did, he should have a majority of white people, and all the slaves, on the side of Government; that he had once fought for the Virginians, and that, by God, he would let them see that he could fight against them, and declared that in a short time he could depopulate the whole Country. That his Excellency desired the said Pasteur immediately to communicate this to the Speaker and other gentlemen of the Town, for that there was not an hour to spare: adding also, that if Finnie and George Nicholas continued to go at large, what he had said would, from some misconduct of theirs, be carried into execution. That the said Pasteur immediately communicated this matter to the Speaker and several other gentlemen of the Town, and it soon became publickly known; in consequence of which two of the principal gentlemen of the City sent their wives and children into tire country. That his Excellency at other times, more than once, did say he should not carry these plans into execution unless he was attacked. That the inhabitants of Williamsburgh were soon after informed, by an express from Fredericksburgh, that the people in that part of the country were in motion towards this City. That the next morning after this report, the said Pasteur, attending a patient at the Palace, again met accidentally with the Governour, who declared to the said Pasteur, that if a large body of people came below Ruffin’s Ferry, (a place about thirty miles from this City,) he would immediately enlarge his plan and carry it into execution; but said that he should not regard a small number of men, adding, he then had two hundred muskets loaded in the Palace. The said Pasteur saith, that, to the best of his knowledge, at the time Lady Dunmore and family removed from Williamsburgh on board the Fowey, man-of-war, then lying at York, the inhabitants of this City were very peaceable.

It appears to your Committee, from the testimony of Benjamin Waller, that the morning after the powder was removed from the publick magazine, the people in the City of Williamsburgh were much alarmed, and assembled, some with, and others without arms; but when the Corporation reported the Governour’s answer to their Address, they, by the persuasions of the Magistrates and other principal gentlemen of the Town, dispersed and were quiet, except in the evening, when a report prevailed that the Marines were landed, and intended to attack the Town; they expressed great uneasiness, and went with their arms to the magazine to guard it, but soon dispersed, except a few, who acted as a patrol that night. That the next day Dr. Pasteur came to the said Waller’s house and informed him of the Governour’s threatening, that if himself, his family, or Captain Collins, were insulted, he would declare liberty to the slaves, and lay the Town in ashes; and that the Governour had desired him to communicate this his declaration to the Magistrates of the City, for that there was not an hour to lose. That these declarations gave the said Waller and the other inhabitants of the Town great uneasiness. That several days afterwards his Excellency came to the said Waller’s house on some private business, and in the course of conversation his Lordship said that Captain Collins had only taken fifteen half barrels of powder from the magazine; that some was not good, and others not full; but that he believed that one whole barrel might he got out of three half barrels; whereupon the said Waller took the liberty to mention to his Lordship, that he was sorry to tell his Excellency that he had lost the confidence of the people, not so much for having taken the powder, as for the declaration he made of raising and freeing the slaves; to which he answered, that he did say so, and made no secret of it, and that he would do that or any thing else, to have defended himself, in case he had been attacked. That his Lordship farther observed, that some slaves had offered him their service at the time the Hanover men were coming down, but that he had sent them away. The said Benjamin Waller farther says, that several young gentlemen of the Town, and others, had formed themselves into a company, (by the name of an Independent Company,) to learn the military exercise, and elected the Colonel of the Militia for their Captain, and that they usually mustered once a week. That when his Excellency returned from the Indian expedition last fall, many of the said company waited upon him in their uniform, to congratulate his Lordship on his return; but the said Waller heard they were coolly received. That said Waller says that he never heard of any powder being lodged in the magazine from the Rippon, man-of-war, until since the removal of the powder, and then only from report, the truth of which he does not know.